RALEIGH —
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry
Division resumed operations of its Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route the
morning of Friday, Feb. 22. It is using a temporary alternate
route that will operate until the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers completes the channel dredging to re-open the primary
route. The new route surveyed by the Corps of Engineers is approximately
10 1/2 miles long and takes about 60 to 70 minutes to cross each way.

The
U.S. Coast Guard completed the marking of the alternate route with
navigational aids this week. The Ferry Division made day and night dry
runs without passengers or vehicles to make
sure the channel route was safe, the navigational aids were operating
properly and the ferry masters were comfortable with the route.

There are three ferries operating on the route. The schedule continuing until the primary route re-opens will be:

Hatteras
Departure Times Ocracoke Departure Times

5 a.m. 4:30 a.m.

6 a.m. 6:30 a.m.

7 a.m. 7:30 a.m.

8 a.m. 8:30 a.m.

9 a.m.9:30 a.m.

10 a.m. 10:30 a.m.

11 a.m. 11:30 a.m.

12 p.m.12:30 p.m.

1 p.m. 1:30 p.m.

2 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

3 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

4 p.m. 4:30 p.m.

5 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

6 p.m. 6:30 p.m.

8 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

9 p.m.9:30 p.m.

11 p.m10:30 p.m.

12 a.m.12:30 a.m.

The
opening of the alternate Hatteras-Ocracoke route means the extra
departures added to the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route to accommodate
vendors and residents were stopped, and that route returned to its
regular schedule. The tolling of that route, which had been suspended
when the added routes began, resumed Friday,
Feb. 22..

The schedule through May 20 will be:

Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 10 a.m., 4 p.m.

Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

The schedule for the Cedar Island-Ocracoke route through March 25 will be: